534 The Gem Hunters

Since Sophie had asked so directly, he replied truthfully, "The fact is, darling, I'm not too good at this horse-riding business. I'm afraid of turning our romantic tour into an adventure tour instead."

Li Du's worry was unfounded; the tamed horses were especially well-behaved. All one needed to do was to ensure their balance on the horse and it would trot along according to orders.

This national park was one of the world's largest and most beautiful petrified forest sites. The petrified wood here was from the end of the Triassic period, with 225 million years of history—even more ancient than dinosaur fossils.

Before entering the park, the security officer wanted to check their bags.

An irritated Li Du asked, "Is this not an invasion of privacy?"

"Sorry sir," the security officer said, "it's a regulation. We've gotta stop people from bringing rocks in, and also from bringing rocks out."